Ultimate Reset

Its been two years since I did my last round of the Ultimate Reset. For some reason we skipped 2018 after making it a regular thing we do to start off the New Year before heading to Cancun at the end of January.

I knew I had to do it this year. 2018 was lackluster for me. Didn’t play softball. Didn’t really do that much that kept me motivated to workout. Throw in a finished basement project (where my workout area was) that took seven months instead of two to complete and I am way off.

Energy is down. Fitness is down. And a solid ten pounds jumped onto me. I signed up for a softball league in 2019 and our workout area in the basement is done. Its time to get back at it.

So we bought the Ultimate Reset Dual Kit after getting back from Cancun in early February. All that’s changed since our last round is they updated the Power Greens formula and provided a “Reset In A Crunch” where you pick three meals you like from that week and eat only those. I’m not going to go in depth on prices and things like that here. For that I recommend you check out my original Ultimate Reset review.

But for this round I wanted to go against the rules of The Ultimate Reset and workout.

If you have never done the The Ultimate Reset it encourages you to scale back on working out and give your body a chance to relax and heal through the 21 days. Walking, Yoga, and light workouts are ok but nothing like Insanity, P90X, or Body Beast. In all of my previous rounds I didn’t workout and still lost 10+ pounds each time.

But I’m a solid 15 pounds heavier than where I want to be. And softball starts in early April. I don’t want to go out there way out of shape especially after missing a year.

I figured since I was carrying 15 beautiful pounds with me that my body could snack on those pounds with me eating less following the meal plan. In theory this sounded ok to me. Especially since I know those meals kept me quite full.

What workout should I do?

I had done two weeks of Insanity prior to starting and I plan on continuing but not limiting myself to it. I need to start running again even with it being butt cold here in Michigan. Plus, I like to swim once a week and I picked up a spin bike on Craigslist. Might do some Body Beast Legs and Yoga workouts from Beachbody On Demand on certain days. From time to time do the Primal Blueprint workout (2 sets of push ups, pull ups, squats, planks) as a warmup too.

If I’m feeling gassed I’ll take the day off. And if I need a few more calories I’ll make the portions a little larger or add something to the snacks I’m allowed to eat. But no coffee and no alcohol per the rules.

Prediction: I lose the same 10 pounds I normally do and don’t notice that much difference in my before and after photos.

To keep track I will log in and journal what I did each day with a picture of my Apple Series 3 Watch activity tracker at the end. Gotta close those three rings!

Day 1 – Body Beast Bulk Legs. Insanity Cardio Recovery. 24 minutes spin bike. (107 exercise minutes)

Day 2 – Warmup. Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance. 50 minutes spin bike. (103 exercise minutes).

Day 3 – Day off. Feeling a bit tired from the previous two days. And my legs are still sore.

Day 4 – Insanity Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs. 34 minutes spin bike.

Day 5 – Day off.

Day 6 – 40 minutes spin bike. Insanity Fit Test. Primal Blueprint workout.

Day 7 – Day Off

Day 8 – Day Off (Start of week two and the Detox packets).

Day 9 – 1 mile swim. 2 mile run. 45 minutes spin bike.

Day 10 – 2 mile run. 50 minutes spin bike.

Day 11 – 2 mile run.

Day 12 – 2 mile run.

Day 13 – 2 mile run.

Day 14 – 1 mile swim.

**Days 11 – 14 I felt more tired than usual. The Detox hit me and energy was low. Fell asleep much earlier those nights.

Day 15 – Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit. 45 minutes spin bike.

Day 16 – Body Beast Bulk Legs. 50 minutes spin bike.

Day 17 – 2.25 mile run.

Day 18 – Insanity Pure Cardio.

Day 19 – 2.5 mile run.

Day 20 – 50 minutes spin bike.

Day 21 – 1 mile swim.

Starting Weight: 204.2

Ending Weight: 192.2

Total Weight Lost: 12 pounds on the dot. Two pounds more than predicted.

Closed all three rings on my Apple 3 Watch activity tracker 11 times (so close to 13) while closing the Exercise ring 16 times.

On Day 22 I ran 2.5 miles, swam one mile, and ate the Day 21 foods again. Stepped on the scale the next morning and it read 189.5. Lost 3 pounds over night. So almost 15 pounds in 23 days. Its been awhile since I’ve seen anything in the 180s on the scale. I’m sure you want to see some before and after photos.

Does it look like I just woke up? Its because I did. We’re lucky I put on pants as it was 7am on Day 22 and I asked Andrea to take my photo in the bathroom after stepping on the scale.

A lot of bloat is gone. Love handles shrunk in half. I look how I want to look at 38 years old. In the right light I could see some abs for the first time in two years.

Energy was up. Slept great. Basically, all the things you experience doing the Ultimate Reset happened again.

I did feel pretty tired on what would have been days 23 and 24. All I could do was run on those days. And I was hungry. While I was eating more of the food on the Ultimate Reset Meal Plan I was feaning for a cheat meal on what would have been Day 25. We had Pizza. It was delicious.

Final Thoughts

Working out while doing the Ultimate Reset is ok if your a bit overweight and in decent shape. There were days where I was burning more calories than I was eating but my body just sucked on some fat. I don’t feel stronger but it was noticeable how much easier it was to move around being 12 pounds lighter. It gave me a jumpstart for the Spring.

Why don’t I eat like this all the time? I feel great every time I do a round. Maybe not full Vegan but 95% of the time would be ideal. Or two weeks of the three week plan a month.

I don’t need a lot of food if I am eating good food. Its interesting how the part of the brain that tells you to eat shuts off after one plate of good food.

I should keep tabs on certain foods. It might be best for me to cut back on dairy and grains. Have a feeling my 38 year old self could do better with a bit less of those.

I do well with a plan. After getting comfortable with the food prep and grocery shopping it occurred to me that a plan telling me what to eat and how to make it works best for me. It takes the “what do you want to eat?” out of every meal. If anything, the plan probably saves me time. Weekly grocery shopping lists like what the Ultimate Reset has should be a requirement for every meal plan.

I should do two rounds a year. I just should. I can feel the inflammation start to disappear in the second week. Doing a tune up in July wouldn’t hurt.

That’s about it. I don’t know what sort of testing I’ll be able to do with the Ultimate Reset again as working out was the only no-no left for me to try.

What continues to be true is that the Ultimate Reset works and doing a round of it every year will be in my best interest.

Most of this was posted in 2012 after my first round of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset and is still relevant in 2020.

If you don’t know by now the Ultimate Reset is a 21 day cleanse and detox program designed to help you lose weight, lower your cholesterol, and increase energy by gently removing toxins stored in your body.

This is done by following a strict meal plan and taking supplements through each phase. No working out, no coffee, no alcohol, no caffeine, and no to just about everything else I normally eat or do for 21 days.

At the time, I had made Elite Beachbody Coach and was asked to take part in a challenge group on Facebook with Beachbody CEO Carl Daikeler.

Getting Started

There were small capsule bottles with funny names like Optimize, Mineralize, Alkalinize, Oxygenize, and Revitalize in the package.

You even get a “Caddy” to carry your supplements on the go. And a bracelet (we both wore) “to remind you of your dedication to resetting your body and your life”.

The “Quick Start Guide” was well put together and informed us of what to expect over the next three weeks.

Started to wonder how much weight I might lose and how I was going to feel. Can’t remember the last time I had gone three weeks without caffeine, a beer, or working out.

The guide said to start on a Wednesday because there might be times during each phase where you are low on energy and need the weekend to chill.

I really liked the grocery shopping list they provided because over half of the things I had never heard of. Had quite an experience at Whole Foods buying these new foods. Did I ever look like an idiot.

Our fridge has never looked so green, lively, and healthy. It would look like this for all 21 days of the Ultimate Reset. And no, I did not drink the beer on the bottom right side of the fridge.

Week 1 – “Reclaim”

There was not a whole lot of info as what to expect during the first week besides trying to get your body back on track. Put a pinch of Mineralize and 15 drops of Oxygenize in a certain amount of water (22oz for me) along with 2 Optimize capsules three times a day.

In mid afternoon you take 1 Alkalinize packet (now called Power Greens) with a pinch of Mineralize (and now the Soothe capsule).

Go to Day 1 to see my day to day progress.

Or skip that and know how shocked I was when I stepped on the scale and it said I lost 8.5 pounds that first week.

Carl told us we were feeling achey (I was) due to the Alkalinize working through our systems and breaking down any parts of our bodies that had a high acidic level. Basically, our insides were getting a workout.

On a different note I was falling asleep very quickly, was waking up with a new level of focus, and even a little bit more energy.

By the end of the week there were no more aches and pains. Was rested for the first time in a long time. My body felt like it was finding a new level of health and was starting to crave new food.

Week 2 – “Release”

This week you take the “Detox” packet three times a day (you still take the other supplements) and eating a vegan meal plan. I had never gone Vegan before so this was going to be a challenge.

Go to Day 8 to see day to day progress.

Dropped 4 pounds during Week 2 for a total of 12.5 pounds.

Pants were looser. I could see more muscle definition. Didn’t fill as chipper in the morning as Week 1. No aches or pains.

Some meals were harder to make. Days 10 – 14 were the hardest of the Ultimate Reset. Was the only time during the entire 21 days where I was thinking about cheating on the meal plan.

The Detox packets were doing their job getting whatever was not removed from my body in week one out of my body for week 2.. And did they ever have a unique taste.

Was really tired throughout the day and fell asleep around 10pm where 11:30pm is the norm. On two separate days I took an hour long nap on the couch. That never happens.

Was hard to focus on work as I just wanted to sleep. Didn’t really have an appetite but the food kept me full.

Spent a lot of time at home because I didn’t have the energy to go out.

Week 3 – “Restore”

I was so glad to be done with detox week. It really challenged me. But here I am on my last week of the Ultimate Reset. No more Detox packets. The only change this week was taking the Revitalize capsule with the other supplements.

It was another week of eating Vegan with a lot more fruits and veggies.

Again, go to Day 15 if you want the day to day approach.

Or know I dropped another 3.5 pounds during Week 3 for a total of 16 pounds lost.

That is quite a bit of weight for me to lose. Especially with little to zero working out.

And this is what I looked like on Day 1 and Day 21.

• 16 Pounds Lost
• Lost 2 inches off my waist
• Lost 1 inch off my chest
• Right & Left Arm both lost an inch
• Body Fat % went from 15% – 10% for a 5% loss

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.*

Not happy with my before photos. I’ve never been that heavy in my life and I look bloated.

I’m also seeing a decent amount of inflammation in my before photos with redness everywhere. Especially on my right elbow, tricep, and face. Inflammation seems to be gone in my after photos.

If I look a little tanned in my after photos its because we were in the Bahamas a week after I took my before photo and started the reset two days after getting back.

**Update – Feb 2020: I have been contacted by Beachbody’s compliance department in regards to a number of factual things I had written into this post in 2012 after my first round of the Ultimate Reset. All of the statements I made are true and did happen. But since I am a Beachbody Coach it appears I cannot make those statements because you the reader might not be able to understand that the results I had may be different than yours.

Hence, I have had to remove a whole lot of factual information for you the reader because the Food & Drug Administration could take this post and use it against me or Beachbody and say I was making false or mis-leading statements. Or something like that. I’m not even allowed to email you my results. Its that sad.

Basically, one of the best reviews of the Ultimate Reset you could find on the internet has had to be dumbed down. Like, a lot.

If you see a dash (-) after something and there’s nothing there, you should know there used to be something factual there and I was told to take it down. You’re gonna have to guess.

If you don’t care about any of that I can say “I felt healthier overall after doing the Ultimate Reset.”**

Blood Work

Before starting the Ultimate Reset I had been asked by Beachbody to get my blood drawn. At the end of the 21 days I had to get my blood drawn again to compare.

Dr. Bill Wheeler from Beachbody called me up a week later to discuss my blood results.

• Good Cholesterol (HDL) –
• Bad Cholesterol (LDL) –
• Blood Glucose –
• Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) –
• Testosterone –
• Total cholesterol –

Round 2

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.*

Round 3

I did not document my third round of the Ultimate Reset which I did in early 2015. What I can tell you is I lost 10 pounds and had a similar experience as previous rounds.

Round 4

What if I just followed the meal plan from the Ultimate Reset and not take the supplements?

Thats what I did for round 4 in late 2015. And I lost the same 10 pounds.

I felt great from eating the food but I do believe the supplements make just enough of a difference.

Round 5

In early 2019 at the age of 38 I decided to workout while doing the Ultimate Reset.

Nothing compares to the first round though. I was 32 years old and it went to work on 20+ years of crap stuck inside me. Literally!

At the time I had been taking Shakeology every day for a year. Still take it everyday some seven years later at the age of 37.

Any Good Tips?

Shopping Lists

You can find the grocery shopping lists for week 1, week 2, and week 3 here.

Recipes

You can find every single recipe used during the Ultimate Reset here.

Both of the links to the shopping lists and recipes send you to the Ultimate Reset Participant Portal. Its a fancy online tool Beachbody made after my third round that shows you everything from how to make the food to what to expect on a day by day basis. There’s even an app!

Where To Buy

If you would like to save some money then sign up as a Beachbody Coach like I did and save 25% on your order. You’ll see the discount during the sign up process.

If the discount does not interest you than choose one of the options below.

Ultimate Reset	Ultimate Reset Challenge Pack	Ultimate Reset Dual Kit
$200	$265	$350

Summary

Out of all the products Beachbody comes out with it is the Ultimate Reset which surprised me the most. I’d even say it has better long term effects than their workout programs ever could.

You learn so much about food, what goes in your body, and how your body reacts to this way of eating. A push up is a push up. But if you’re not fueling your body right those push ups might not do so much.

I’d go so far as to say someone who has 20+ pounds of weight to lose should do the Ultimate Reset before attempting P90X, Insanity, or any workout program. Reason being is you could eat those 20+ pounds off instead of trying to burn them off. Do you know how much easier it is to do a push up with 20 less pounds on your body? Like a lot less.

After that first round I could not believe how much better I felt. I definitely pay more attention to what I put into my body now versus before. How could I not? I lost weight, reduced inflammation, and just felt great. It has had a lasting effect.

The second and third rounds were so much easier than the first as I was more comfortable in the kitchen. And Beachbody made changes to the program guide making it easier to plan meals ahead of time. Grocery shopping was easier too!

I didn’t get all psycho with measurements in later rounds like I did in the first round which made those rounds much easier. I even skipped some meals I did not like and made something else.

What I’ve found is you should plan to do the Ultimate Reset during a slow time of the year. For me, it’s early January. The Holidays are over and I’m not playing sports.

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have questions about the Ultimate Reset.

Today was my last day of the Beachbody Ultimate Reset. Another day where I felt great. Had a softball game at night where I’m definitely not up to speed yet but I am feeling great.

Breakfast was the usual plate of fresh fruit. For lunch we had a Carrot Seaweed Medley and Microgreen Salad. Dinner was Avocado-Cucumber Soup, Roasted Veggies, and Quinoa. The soup is awesome.

I recommend checking out my full review of the Ultimate Reset where I share before and after photos, how much weight I lost, and thoughts about the entire program.

Probably had my best day of the Ultimate Reset. Had a good consistent energy through out the day. Went for a easy bike ride. Haven’t felt this good in a really long time. I caught myself wanting to do more things around the house and reminded myself there is no need to create extra work.

Its like I look forward to eating a big plate of fresh fruit every morning now. The Jicama-Avocado salad for lunch was tasty. Asian Stir-Fry with Braised Greens and Brown Rice for dinner was delicious.

Was feeling a little sore today from playing in the softball tournament yesterday. I guess it was to be expected since Beachbody does not want you working out during the Ultimate Reset. Besides that I felt great. Energy levels were high. My appetite is coming back and I’m craving better foods.

Another big ol plate of fresh fruit for breakfast. Vegetable Miso Soup with a Microgreen Salad and slice of whole grain toast for lunch. Dinner was Mediterranean Roasted Beets, Baked Tempeh, and Coconut Collard Greens. Was very impressed by dinner.

Experienced first hand why they do not want you working out during the 21 days of the Ultimate Reset. I was not looking forward to this day when I started because it was our first softball tournament of the year.

We played 4 games of which I played 2 in the field and had 5 at bats. My strength was no where near what it was prior to starting the reset. My throwing, running, and hitting all suffered. I played ok but not up to my standards. I did not cheat on the meals. I even came home to make lunch on one of our breaks. At the end of the day I was exhausted.

For breakfast I went with Vegan Shakeology with a couple pieces of extra fruit. Needed the little bit of extra calories during the day. Came back home during our break between games and made the Spinach salad thingy. Dinner was a first for me. Roasted Fennel Bulb, Lemony Asparagus and Broccoli, and Brown Rice. The Fennel was interesting. Tasted like licorice.